Single Slam: Sabaton, Ov Sulfur, Hot Mulligan, Syncolima, Not Enough Space, The Ultra Violets, Zetra, Cordiform, Summoners, ATLVS, Caustic Waves, Signs of the Swarm, Why Patterns, Still in Love, Harpy, The Comfort, Split Chain, and GWAR!

Today’s single slam features Sabaton, Ov Sulfur, Hot Mulligan, Syncolima, Not Enough Space, The Ultra Violets, Zetra, Cordiform, Summoners, ATLVS, Caustic Waves, Signs of the Swarm, Why Patterns, Still in Love, Harpy, The Comfort, Split Chain, and GWAR. You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

Sabaton – Hordes of Khan

Sabaton have unveiled their second single and cinematic video, ‘Hordes of Khan’ from their forthcoming 11th studio album, which is due out later this year, marking their Better Noise Music debut.

Says singer Joakim Brodén:

The story behind our new single ‘Hordes Of Khan’ was a great one to take a deep dive into. The song actually turned out to have way more depth than we expected. Genghis Khan wasn’t just a conqueror; he was a complex figure who left behind a huge legacy. He built the largest contiguous empire in history, stretching far beyond Mongolia, and his influence only grew after his death. Honestly, we couldn’t have picked a more suitable subject for the new direction SABATON is heading in! ‘Hordes of Khan’ hits hard, and it’s heavy for good reason. We know our fans crave heavy music, and we’re pumped to see how they react to this one. Hopefully, it’s a track they’ll be blasting on repeat!

Big, bombastic, and ballsy, it’s Sabaton doing what Sabaton do best, albeit from a heavier and more ‘straight-forward metal angle. Featuring hyperactive instrumentation and massive vocals hooks, Sabaton can write anthemic head bangers in their sleep, and this is another lovable heavyweight hit.

Ov Sulfur – Seed

Blackened deathcore band Ov Sulfur has released a new standalone single, ‘Seed’, via Century Media Records. ‘Seed’ marks a rebirth for the quintet, whose growth from the sinful streets of Las Vegas to titans of a more melodic side of the genre has exploded in popularity alongside the likes of Lorna Shore, Shadow of Intent and Mental Cruelty.

Sounding heavier than ever, Ov Sulfur’s new single is a beastly effort that ticks a lot of familiar deathcore boxes. However, thanks to impressive touches of dramatic flair and the unbridled intensity of the drums, it stands out as something so much bigger. Ov Sulfur’s heaviest track to date? It sure feels like it. Check it out here.

Hot Mulligan – And a Big Load

Post-emo rising stars Hot Mulligan have announced their highly-anticipated fourth full-length LP, ‘The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still’, due out on August 22nd via Wax Bodega. Their new single and video, ‘And a Big Load’, is their first offering from the record.

Shares co-vocalist and guitarist Chris Freeman:

It’s the consequences of your own actions. You could face them; you could avoid them entirely. Our biggest conflicts and struggles are often self inflicted. Drink too much? Hangover. What did you say last night? Apologize… or don’t. You could commit suicide instead. You could commit to being sober. You could commit to drinking one million beers. At the end of the day it’ll all be left for you to deal with. It’s terrifying.

Liable to put a big smile on all the faces of those who love the emo rock and punk sound, Hot Mulligan’s new track is a banger. One with catchy beats, heartfelt melody, punky ion, and so much more. It’s so damn lovable, and it will be stuck in the head for hours afterwards. Check it out here.

Syncolima – Shipwrecked

Nottingham, UK based 3-piece riff machine, Syncolima, are back with their brand-new album, ‘Move Mountains’. Out September 5th, 2025. The first single from the new record is out now and it’s called ‘Shipwrecked’.

About the new album, Syncolima says:

This one cuts deeper. It’s raw, edgy, and heavier than anything we’ve done before. Packed with gritty riffs, huge bass lines, thunderous drums, and lyrics that wrestle with life in the modern world.

Move Mountains is us, grown and unapologetically loud. Stoner rock meets grunge with a twist of prog, this is the sound of where we’ve been and where we’re going. Thanks for sticking with us. Crank it loud. Let it move you.

Warm up those neck muscles before you hit play on this new Syncolima track as you’re guaranteed to be head banging from the moment it starts. The 3-piece bring the groove, combining it with their familiar stoner sounds, throwing in a dash of grubby grunge and, interestingly, getting a bit experimental along the way too. It’s a really layered track, but one that has accessible infectiousness.

Not Enough Space – Waiting 4 U

Not Enough Space returns with a bold new single, ‘Waiting 4 U,’ out now via Thriller Records. Lyrically, ‘Waiting 4 U’ captures the raw moment when love turns toxic and clarity finally cuts through the chaos. It’s about realising your worth, letting go of self-doubt, and walking away – not in defeat, but in power.

Speaking of the new single, Not Enough Space share:

‘Waiting 4 U’ is an explosive, pop rock anthem that resonates with anyone who has endured the emotional experience of waiting in vain for a partner to change. We wanted to capture that turning point where you finally decide to walk away and take your power back. This track taps into our ability to genre blend as a band and embraces different influences such as Paramore and Avril Lavigne.

Poppy, rocky, laced with melody, experimental in places, featuring flashes of heaviness, and anthemic throughout, this new track from Not Enough Space is intensely likable. The group deliver a commanding performance that combines different genres in interesting ways. The parts might all be familiar, but how this band puts it all together is what makes it special. Check it out here.

The Ultra Violets – HONEY PIE

Cornwall-based indie-rock quartet The Ultra Violets have released their brand-new single, ‘HONEY PIE’. Recorded and mastered with Ross Rothero-Bourge and the band’s Perran Nicholls at The Cube in Cornwall, ‘HONEY PIE’ is an aggressive wakeup call to the dark side and addictive nature of social media, urging people to stop turning a blind eye to the atrocities we see on our phones in favour of the superficial ‘sweet stuff’.

On the track’s subject matter the band explain:

The song is essentially about people only wanting the sweet stuff in life, and sugar coating anything and everything that may be a difficult subject. We live in a society where social media is treated like the Holy Bible, simultaneously releasing dopamine hits, a highly addictive drug, when posting pictures for ‘instant gratification’.

It seems there’s a lot of wrong in the world right now, but let’s all turn a blind eye and keep posting our best lives, sugarcoating the stark contrast of the disarray. But in reality, you can hear the ‘sirens of hate before the day is dawning’ waking you as it simmers through the cracks of your windows in the morning.

A moody sounding experimental rock track that has a rawness that makes the lyrical content and the vocal delivery sound so much more authentic. It’s the kind of track that gets under the skin, delivering more and more delights as it goes on, and inevitably taking up residence in the mind for some time after. A weird, but defiantly wonderful track. Check it out here.

Zetra – So

Inimitable synth rock enigma Zetra have returned with their new single ‘So’. The track is the duos first new music since the release of their debut album in September of last year.

Zetra comment:

Can we believe the lie?
The membrane shudders to the touch
Alive within the mind, a barrier between two worlds.
Will there be peace beyond the veil?
Or is chaos ever raging?
It is so.
Zetra are reborn.

The rise of Zetra continues and this magical track isn’t going to halt that, in fact, it’s only going to help. Tinged with nostalgic rock, experimentally melodic, and with a deep layer of dreaminess that sets the senses on fire, this is Zetra at their best.

Cordiform – So What!

Naarm/Melbourne-based emo pop-punk four-piece Cordiform have released their highly anticipated first single of the year, ‘So What!’ – dropping June 5. The track is produced, mixed, and mastered by Ionei Heckenberg (Ocean Sleeper, Behind Crimson Eyes, Outloved).

An outstanding ode to emo pop punk of yester-year without sounding dated, Cordiform’s new track is a grin-inducing piece of music. Provided you like this sort of thing, which I do, and this band deliver all the nostalgic heart and soul I could ever want with this infectious banger. Check it out here.

Summoners – Let You Go

Summoners return with an epic and lush grunge soundscape with a psychedelic edge, and a laser focus on melody, power and euphoric vocal harmonies, with their new single ‘Let You Go’. It is the fifth single from their debut EP ‘No Control’, due for release on June 25th.

The song tells the point of view of someone in a relationship on the brink – realising that whilst they may not be able to readily escape the holds and effects of the relationship, they can and must escape the person.

With every new track, Summoners prove that they really are a band that everyone should be paying attention to, and this new track showcases a more varied side to the band. One that is notably psychedelic, has a thick grunge vein running through it, but with undeniable infectious qualities too. It’s a track that gets more powerful as it goes on. Proving to be another absolute banger by this band. Check it out here.

ATLVS – Soulsucker

Melbourne-based metalcore outfit ATLVS re-emerge with their long-anticipated new single ‘Soulsucker’, a searing outpouring of betrayal, emotional abuse, and personal reckoning.

A short and very freaking sharp blast of modern metalcore, ATLVS’ intensity is on display here, and they throw their all into delivering something with sharp edges. Of course, this being ATVLS, it’s experimental too, and the band create some jarring moments alongside some chunky heaviness resulting in a overall memorable listen.

Caustic Waves – Quicksand

Launched in 2022, Caustic Waves is the musical outlet for Glasgow-based one-man-band, Neil Thomas. With a nostalgic sound and title that both nod to 90s post-hardcore, ‘Quicksand’ is the lead single from the Caustic Waves album, ‘Echoes’.

Setting the bar for the new album high with this punchy alternative retro-tinged rock banger, Caustic Waves amaze. Not just because it’s staggering that this is all the work of one person, but the fact that it perfectly blends styles and genres, sounding hugely nostalgic in places, but still fresh and exciting in others. It’s an energetic listen with a kickass chorus. Check it out here.

Signs of the Swarm – Clouded Retinas

Pittsburgh deathcore titans Signs of the Swarm are celebrating just ahead of a mammoth European festival trek by releasing new song ‘Clouded Retinas’, featuring Lorna Shore’s Will Ramos.

Explains vocalist David Simonich, who is having an internal dialogue with himself in the song:

‘Clouded Retinas’ is about my struggle coming to with my vision loss and diagnosis of Stargardt disease. I asked my friend Will Ramos to hop on the song not just to make it sound sick, but also to spread awareness of degenerative diseases and disability. With Will holding it down for today’s deathcore, I tried to showcase my influences from Nate Johnson and Vincent Bennett because the song feels modern yet nostalgic at the same time.

A brutal and blistering showcase of deathcore that features two of the scenes most savage sounding vocalists. Which should be enough to confirm this as one of the heaviest tracks of the year, but when combined with titanic riffs and machinegun-like drumming, it reaches absurd levels. I f**king love it.

Why Patterns – Self Defeating Trebuchet

London based weird punky grindcore trio Why Patterns have released their new single and music video, ‘Self Defeating Trebuchet’. It is the first single taken from their second album ‘Screamers’, due to be released on July 11th through UK DIY label Human Worth.

Less than two-minutes of pure adrenaline pumping chaos and noise that can be best summed up as ‘brilliant nonsense’. It will make you feel uncomfortable, but it will also captivate. Check it out here.

Still in Love – Nervous Impulse

Containing of Dead Swans, Throats, Brutality Will Prevail, Last Witness and [ex] Bring Me the Horizon (to name a few!), Still In love is the brainchild of UKHC’s brightest talents. The group have now released their new single ‘Nervous Impulse’ out via Church Road Records. It comes from their debut album ‘Recovery Language’, out 5th September via Church Road Records.

Says vocalist, Nick:

Nervous impulse was a way for me to vent my frustrations. It’s a personal reminder about setting boundaries and taking care of my mental health. Given all that’s gone on in the last few years for each of us individually it’s nice to have a place to let it all out.

Less than two-minutes of hardcore mania that has the power and intensity to spin kick a face off through a screen. The word that comes to mind is ‘dangerous’. Still in Love are back to take over the UK hardcore scene and it’s all because of music this powerful, this believable, and this damn enjoyable.

Harpy – Last Time

The hotly-tipped, alt-pop artist Harpy has announced her forthcoming debut EP, ‘VII’, set for release on 7th November. Inspired by the legacy of the seven deadly sins, ‘VII’, is a seven part exploration of vice and desire, with each track being a reflection of Harpy’s transgressions: Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath and Sloth.

Speaking of her debut EP, ‘VII’, Harpy shares:

This record is a chance for me to repent my sins, for the whole world to see.

Alongside the announcement of her EP, Harpy has shared its first single, ‘Last Time.’ Co-written with Juan Ariza (Julia Michaels, Dua Lipa, Ingrid Michaelson) and Milkie Way (Wargasm), and produced by Sam Matlock (Wargasm) and Pieter Rietkerk,

Speaking of the track, Harpy shares:

‘Last Time’ is the sin of LUST. During the writing process, we called it Apocalypse. It’s about the darkest of desires, a magnetic pull to the ions of the flesh, hedonistic, wanting on to feel ultimate euphoria and stopping at nothing until I achieve it. If you’re going to f*** me, you better f*** me like it’s the end of the world, like it’s the last time.

A sexy and sleazy track that wouldn’t be out of place in a hedonistic club, Harpy’s alternative style is on garish display here, and it’s very compelling. The body will move, quivering in pleasure throughout, as it gets more and more experimental. It’s very cool, but not one for the family BBQ. Check it out here.

The Comfort – Down (How Many Times Can I Lose Everything?)

Brisbane’s beloved alt rockers The Comfort retrace their heavier roots with new single ‘Down (How Many Times Can I Lose Everything?)’.

Tells the band:

As the opening chapter of what is going to be a big year for us, this song sets the tone. It’s brutally honest, emotionally heavy, and painfully human. It asks, How many times can I lose everything before I finally let go? A question that shaped our new music, and one we’ve all felt in different forms. This is where the healing starts: in the wreckage.

An interesting, and exciting twist to the alternative formula, The Comfort do a great job of standing out from the crowd with this track. Partially because it’s a punchy effort overall, but also because the rhythms are twisted and off-kilter in places, making it feel a little messier, but in a cool way. Especially as it all comes together in a chorus that is a bit of a welcome singalong. Check it out here.

Split Chain – who am i?

Hotly-tipped Bristol nu-gaze band, Split Chain, have released their new single, ‘who am i?’, taken from their eagerly anticipated debut album, ‘motionblur’, released July 11th on Epitaph Records.

Speaking of today’s new single, ‘who am i?’, frontman Bert Martinez-Cowles says:

‘who am i’ is an important and deeply personal song for all of us because we all relate to it in one way or another. It addresses our own inner critics by confronting the feelings of imposter syndrome we all struggle with as a consequence of the success Split Chain has seen in a short amount of time. We are all our own worst critics, and the song is about working to overcome and block out the noise, negativity and feelings of inadequacy that stems from within our own minds. ‘who am i’ is ultimately about pulling ourselves out of the negative cycles of rumination and allowing ourselves to believe that we do deserve good things and that we all deserve them just as much as anybody else.

As brilliant as ever, Split Chain’s new track is one of the most infectious tracks they’ve put out. Not only does it have bundles of foot-tapping and body-shaking energy, but it embodies what the term ‘nu-gaze’ means and how a band as unique as this can rise to the top. Check it out here.

GWAR – The Great Circus Train Disaster

Shock rock legends GWAR continue their 40th anniversary celebration with the release of their new single, ‘The Great Circus Train Disaster’, the second track unveiled from their multimedia release ‘The Return of Gor Gor’, out July 25 via Pit Records and Z2 Comics. The new single arrives with an animated adventure that captures the mayhem and madness only GWAR can deliver, telling the tale of a catastrophic circus train derailment involving flaming elephants, twisted clowns, and one extremely unlucky cotton candy vendor.

Guitarist Grodius Maximus comments on ‘The Great Circus Train Disaster’:

The song just kinda came to us one day while we were all hanging out injecting ketamine and crushed-up insects into our dick holes. We were f****d up for days as we experienced hallucinations of charred clown bodies, lobster people impaled on stalagmites, and the unholy image of our pet baby dinosaur being whored out as sexual meat to a greasy mass of scabies encrusted republicans and greased up catholic priests. When we came to, the song was fully formed. All we had to do was hit record and BOOM…’The Great Circus Train Disaster’ was born. Now, MTV and Def Jam Recordings are knocking down our door. Charlie XCX, Slipknot, and Garth Brooks all want to collaborate with us, and to be honest, this type of success is just a bit overwhelming. Yeah, we get it. We’re amazing songwriters… Deal with it!

A fun and silly track, which might sound like a GWAR special, but this one’s delightfully anthemic ways is something else completely. GWAR at their most theatrical, at their most experimental, and at their most enjoyable, although that last one might be up for debate as this is the band rocking it up, and showcasing progressive thinking, rather than going for the jugular. It’s so much fun though!